Cumberland Presbyterian
A small group of Germantown residents attending a Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Whitehaven decided to start a new church in Germantown in early 1975. The group began as a fellowship meeting in the Germantown Pickering Community Center on Poplar Pike. The pastor of the Whitehaven church, Tom Campbell, assisted the original members in setting up their fellowship. They held their first meeting on March 16, 1975. The fellowship’s official birthday came a few months later, on July 13, 1975.
Among the founding members were John, Lee, Mae, and Paula Hyden, Eugene, Rosa Mae, and William Warren, Byron Forrester, Pat, and Walt Vandergrift, Vista, Fran, and Myrtle Smartt, Mary Alice and C. Ray Dobbins, James Terry, and Brenda Knight, Larry and Joyce Scott, Kenneth and Janie Bouldin, Don Monteith, Saundra Thomas, Mary C. Lewis, Beverly Brown, Mark and Ana Rose Manners, Fred and Rita Bryant, Pat and Jerry Green, Edward and Judy Chandler, and many others. Rev. Paul Brown was the organizing pastor and served part-time while teaching at Memphis Theological Seminary between September 1975 and November 1978. In November of 1978, he became the full-time pastor of the church serving until 1984.
Kenneth Bouldin was the original coordinator; Larry Scott was the first treasurer; Eugene Warren oversaw physical facilities, and Tom Campbell was the first interim pastor of the church. Under their leadership, the land was purchased at the corner of Riverdale and McVay Roads for a permanent home to be built for the congregation in April 1976. The groundbreaking for the new facilities was held on July 17, 1977. Once the initial building was completed in January 1978, members moved from the Pickering Community Center to their new home. As membership rolls continued to grow, new addition and parking lots were added to the initial structure. The new Christian Education wing was dedicated on January 10, 1997.
William Warren was ordained in the church on January 8, 1989. After graduating from seminary and serving as pastor of several other churches, and upon completion of Rev. Paul Brown’s tenure as pastor of the church, Rev. William Warren was called to be the new pastor in 1984, serving until his retirement at the end of June 2018. During his tenure, his wife Linda Warren served as pianist, organist, and music director. She also retired from her position at the end of June 2018.
As the church considered the future, Rev. George Estes served as interim pastor. Rev. Peggy Jean Craig was called to serve as permanent pastor and began her tenure in July 2019. Noel Wilkins was hired to replace Linda Warren as Director of Music and stepped down from that position in 2021. Noel continues as a pianist.
Under Rev. Craig’s leadership, the church began an outreach ministry in the form of ‘The Pantry at CPCG’ to feed the needy. The Pantry opened in March 2020, and as of May 2021, has served over 2,500 families. In April of 2021, The Pantry was expanded to include a Clothes Closet as well.
